"My Alien Summer: A Clean Scifi Romance" by Rose E. Pease

Current Tags

science fiction, alien contact, clean romance, just kisses, clean and wholesome, sweet romance, alien romance

Categories

Romance / Teen & Young Adult

Affiliate Link

My Alien Summer: A Clean Scifi Romance

Author's Description

When Kyla's abduction by aliens takes an unexpected turn, she and her captor form an unlikely friendship that leads to the start of a summer they will never forget. But their new relationship is put to the ultimate test when it appears she may be vital to his kind's survival. Dual POV. Edited by Hollie Westring.

Why I Chose it

On one of the FB groups, people were listing their favorite story of the year and this one was in the mix. The first episode is a great example of someone trying to figure out how to dump their partner and then feeling hurt because the other person dumped them first. And that opens up the path for Kyla to be abducted by the aliens!

[Complete at 23 episodes.]

Who Might Like This

If you are an alien romance reader, this will be just the thing for you!

Unrelated Griping

It's the end of 2021 and I'm wondering if Kindle Vella will still be around at the end of 2022. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the platform improves and begins attracting more readers!

"Immortal Guardians" by RM Alexander

Current Tags

vampires, fae, romance, paranormal, suspense, urbanfantasy, heroine

Categories

Paranormal / Romance

Affiliate Link

Immortal Guardians

Author's Description

Humans are fragile, and Celeste will stop at nothing to ensure they're able to live in peace from the fae who would destroy them. Then, she falls for the enemy.

Why I Chose it

Paranormal romance for the second day in a row, but this time the vampire is a woman who is responsible for protecting a human from fairies in Sacramento.  How can you not like a paranormal story set in Sacramento?

[4 episodes, 2 in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

Vampires protecting humans from fairies in Sacramento! What's not to love?

Unrelated Griping

I read the first episode of a story yesterday in which the main character was "from the UK" and was also a "junior in high school".

And maybe there was some transatlantic move explained sometime later, but... Here's the thing. If you put those two facts in the same paragraph at the beginning of the first episode, you either need to give a little more information so the reader isn't thrown out of the story by the idea of high school in the UK, or your writing has to be so perfect that the reader trusts that it will be explained later. Otherwise, the reader is going to come to the conclusion that you've set the story somewhere in the UK without knowing anything about the setting.

"Courtyards of the Lost" by Brigitte Delery

Current Tags

new orleans, slow burn, paranormal, romance, paranormal romance, vampire romance, vampires

Categories

Paranormal / Romance

Affiliate Link

Courtyards of the Lost

Author's Description

Vampires are dying out. Though their end is near, few know or acknowledge that fact. Darbonne knows- but as he holds himself apart waiting for the end of all their stories, a chance encounter with a mortal upends everything he believes about the fate of vampires- and himself. Amy Trosclair flits unmoored through the New Orleans nights, lost in a past she longs to forget and an all too stifling present. Her life isn't about to change. It changed already - she just hasn't caught up yet.

Why I Chose it

Sure, vampires roaming New Orleans at night is not exactly a new concept, but fun reads rarely are new concepts. This is one of those times when you know exactly what you're getting. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!

[54 episodes, 12 in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

Are you a fan of vampires in New Orleans? If so, this may be your thing!

Unrelated Griping

Well, they added a new section in which they list some (not all!) serials that have been marked complete. But what they don't indicate is how many episodes that is. A lot of them are 5 episodes long — so really, they're short stories. I think it would be worth listing the number of episodes instead of using the space to say "Completed" on every story in the carousel of completed stories...

Again, they really need to hire someone who can focus on the user experience. Or replace the person in that position. I'm famous for terrible GUIs and even mine were never this bad.

"Tenkyuu" by Noelle Nichols

Current Tags

historical fantasy, magic, mystery, adventure, reluctant hero, slice of life, ninjas

Categories

Historical Fiction / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

Tenkyuu

Author's Description

Tenkyuu, a shinobi of the Arashi clan, desires a simple life, but after his grandfather falls ill, the dream of halcyon days is torn from him, and he reluctantly accepts the duties of a storm master. Using his blood talents and wits, he sifts through memories in the rain, bringing justice to those who have passed. A battle of wills is about to begin, man vs. nature, as Tenkyuu searches for his reason to become the next clan leader and the strength to endure the storm.

Why I Chose it

The grumpiness of the protagonist, who shows up to investigate the death of a boy even though he doesn't really want to, immediately makes him likable. Also, I'm a fan of murder mysteries, and that's a thread running through this story.

[15 episodes, 0 in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

It's a magical murder mystery set in a secondary world based on feudal Japan. What's not to love about that?

Unrelated Griping

No griping today, probably because I picked this one from a FB post and bypassed the whole "trying to find something through the Vella search interface". I did skip another one that started with a prologue containing at least five names in the first paragraph (all with a date to indicate that it was probably some time in the far past on this fantasy world), but I think I've probably complained enough about prologues already.

"Critical Access Medicine" by Olliver Went

Current Tags

medicine, true stories, drama, emergency, covid, death, thrilling

Categories

Action & Adventure / Thriller

Affiliate Link

Critical Access Medicine

Author's Description

I'm an emergency medicine physician with over twenty years experience, mostly in small rural emergency rooms. These stories are based on real events. Details have been changed for privacy but the stories are real. There is a disconnect between what the public thinks happens in an emergency room and what really happens. Nothing is going to change until you first understand what is happening. Read these stories and understand these are real people and it could be you some day.

Why I Chose it

Ever wonder what it's like working cases in the emergency room? Now you can tag along, including for the case of the guy with the nail in his vertebra in the x-ray above. (I'm not a human doctor, but I was a veterinarian, and everything in the first three episodes rings true.)

[15 episodes, 9 in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

Stories from the ER — who doesn't love that sort of thing?

Unrelated Griping

Ooh, the "Top Faved" list changed! (Yeah, still the same five but some of them switched places.) It takes up half the screen. That list is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy — they're the top faved, but they're also the only ones shown to new users, so...

"Dragon Ranch" by Liz Rockrose

Current Tags

dragons, western, alternate history, texas, contemporary fantasy, young adult, fantasy

Categories

Teen & Young Adult / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

Dragon Ranch

Author's Description

Charlotte Morgan's got a policy against attending any tourist trap where the main attractions can fly, breathe fire, or crush you with one pinky toe. Unfortunately, her father's arranged for her to spend the summer helping out at her cranky aunt's Dragon Ranch in Texas.

Why I Chose it

The first episode has at least three different tropes my teen self would have killed to read. (For the record: troubled teen being dumped on a stranger by uncaring parents, a horse dragon farm, and dangerous animals rescued from an abusive past who will learn to trust the protagonist.) 

[29 episodes, 4 in the last 9 days]

Who Might Like This

It's a dragon story for your inner horse girl!

Unrelated Griping

I saw yet another "non-fiction written by people who drive around in RVs" story today — seriously, there ought to be a separate genre just for that. Anyhow, it was a masterclass in an unreliable narrator, except, again, it was supposed to be non-fiction. Very interesting in a grin-while-backing-away sort of manner.

"Cosplay Worthy" by Q Glide

Current Tags

geeky, comic books, cosplay, fangirls, conventions, romance, contemporary romance

Categories

Romance

Affiliate Link

Cosplay Worthy

Author's Description

Art, cartoons, and cosplay are Layla Bennet's escape from it all. At Nova, Long Island's Comic Con she meets Vic Williams, her favorite writer and the creator of the character she's cosplaying. To Layla's delight, she and Vic hit it off. After the convention they stay in touch, and their relationship heats up online. With memories of his deep blue eyes and kind compliments about her art still fresh, Layla falls head over heels for Vic. But can a professional really love his fangirl?

Why I Chose it

I haven't really hit the romance part yet, but I don't really care. The main character, Layla, is interesting enough that I'm willing to go along for the ride.

[9 episodes, 1 in the last 9 days]

Who Might Like This

Contemporary romance fans who are also members of any fandom — this may be your jam!

Unrelated Griping

I'm a little bummed Dragon Freehold hasn't found an audience on Vella. (I only have myself to blame — I haven't put enough effort into marketing it.) I'm working on the last episode of season one now, and it's a fun fantasy story.

"The White Cat" by Kathryn Ashby

Current Tags

fairy tale retelling, folklore, fairy tale fantasy, romance, fairies, classic stories

Categories

Fantasy

Affiliate Link

The White Cat

Author's Description

I wasn't always a cat, you know. Don't get me wrong, being a cat has its advantages. I get to take naps whenever I please. And I have a beautiful lithe figure, if I do say so myself. I certainly wasn't this graceful as a girl.

Why I Chose it

Yes, it's a fairy tale retelling, but our protagonists are the kids whose parents have made terrible bargains.

[6 episodes, 1 in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

Fairy tale fans!

Unrelated Griping

I'm still laughing about the story I ran across yesterday in which the author spent a few hundred words at the start of the first episode yelling at their readers for being terrible human beings. Definitely a great example of how not to build rapport with your readers.

"Factions: NuGen Society 1" by C.B. Stone

Current Tags

paranormal, magic, enemies to lovers, supernatural, shifter, dystopian urban fantasy, female lead

Categories

Dystopian / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

Factions: NuGen Society 1

Author's Description

2 years ago, Alex woke to utter chaos & desolation in the wake of a magic-laced bio attack on humanity. Since then, she's had one burning goal. Survival. Hiding unwanted magical abilities, she laid low & kept her head down. She'd rather die than work for NuGen, reigning "mob boss" of magical factions who rose to fill the void of power. But when someone close to her is kidnapped, she's forced to form an uneasy alliance with the man sent to recruit her. Was he an ally? Or her biggest weakness?

Why I Chose it

The opening episode has a nice sense of the chaos that would follow a huge disaster. It feels a lot like a zombie story, but I don't think there are actual zombies.

[10 episodes, 4 in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

All you zombie/dystopia lovers should check this one out!

Unrelated Griping

Two thoughts:

1. Whatever you do, check the first sentence of your first episode. It really needs to have a verb, and it also shouldn't repeat the same phrase in two spots. I get it. Everyone messes with their first sentence a lot and after a while you don't even see it anymore, but please, I'm begging you, let your computer read it aloud before you post the story.
   
   
2. If your first episode (labeled "Prologue", because of course it is) begins with a copyright notice that says the exact opposite of what you want it to ("The author grants permission in writing for any portion of this book to be reproduced...") and then continues on with a notice about how they are going to sue everyone and then continues on with how editing is going to happen at some later date and demands that reviewers ignore all errors and this continues on for far longer than one screen... I will laugh for a while, but I will not bother to find the story that may or may not be down there somewhere.

"Space Colony Utopia" by Kate Rauner

Current Tags

space colony, utopia, rotating space station, coming of age, travel, discovery

Categories

Action & Adventure / Science Fiction

Affiliate Link

Space Colony Utopia

Author's Description

Jake is searching for a home onboard a rotating space colony. Utopia for others is misery for him, but the farther he travels, the worse things get. What would you do? Start reading now to discover where he ends up.

Why I Chose it

It's been a while since I've read a space colony story. This has a nice mix of "potato farmer" and "what else is available on the space ship".

[Complete at 10 episodes.]

Who Might Like This

If you enjoy SF tales that examine what makes a utopia worth living in, check this out!

Unrelated Griping

The main Vella page is really static for something that is supposed to show rankings and new stories.

"Sir Bubba Saves the World" by C. L. Webb

Current Tags

humorousfantasy, urbanfantasy, adventure, magic, knights

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

Sir Bubba Saves the World

Author's Description

Bartholomew "Bubba" Batts needs a job. His pro football career tanked, along with his two marriages, and he's lost every job he's had. When he answers an ad for the position of "knight," he finds himself in an alternate world, where the fate of a kingdom, a desperate princess, and a beautiful lady-in-waiting all depend on him. Too bad he has no idea what he's doing...

Why I Chose it

Even if this story isn't your kind of thing, go check out the first paragraph. It's a great example of how to make a character who is objectively unlikable into a sympathetic protagonist. By the end of that paragraph, we're rooting for him!

[57 episodes so far, with 3 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Anyone who likes humorous fantasy with a likable character on a redemption arc should read this!

Unrelated Griping

Still haven't updated the "Featured in Kindle Vella" list — I think it's been over a week — and now one of the ones featured is lacking a cover image... Don't make me get a job with this software group just to bash it into shape!

"Shadowglen: Witches & Wolves" by Cyan Skye

Current Tags

slow burn, shifters, shifter romance, angst, friends to lovers, cyan skye, paranormal

Categories

Paranormal / Romance

Affiliate Link

Shadowglen: Witches & Wolves

Author's Description

I haven't seen my childhood crush in fifteen years. Now I'm finally home, but he wants me to leave. Secrets, shifters, magic . . . Shadowglen isn't safe. Especially not for someone like me. | New episodes of this slow burn paranormal romance every Monday! Instagram & Facebook @AuthorCyanSkye

Why I Chose it

This starts off with a nice little action scene that does a great job of setting the tone.

[26 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of atmospheric paranormal romance will want to pounce on this one!

Unrelated Griping

Still haven't updated the "Featured in Kindle Vella" list...

Also, a bunch of stories no longer have the cover image showing. But they did finally make it so people can have more than one author listed for the story. I'm not sure what's going on with their development team, but it's strictly amateur hour.

"The Ivy Labyrinth" by Cady Hammer

Current Tags

magical realism, slow burn romance, enemies to lovers, fantasy adventure, fantasy romance, magic quest, fantasy

Categories

Fantasy / Teen & Young Adult

Affiliate Link

The Ivy Labyrinth

Author's Description

In a world of magical instability, four high school students are chosen every year to enter the Ivy Labyrinth and try to break its hold on the planet by solving a series of complex challenges and riddles. Most never come out. Now, a new four have been chosen: the quiet intellectual, Kristy; the dutiful son, Kai; the impulsive best friend, Brianna; and the highly reactive screwup, Ash. In a high fantasy, Hunger Games-meets-Maze Runner serial, there's no telling what obstacles will come up next.

Why I Chose it

I like the idea of a labyrinth that might kill everyone who enters and yet requires sacrifices. Sure, this is is obviously influenced by Hunger Games (and I assume Maze Runner as well, though I don't know anything about that one), but it's going to be the characters that make or break this. There aren't any plots that haven't been told before.

[22 episodes so far, with 1 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of The Hunger Games should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

It feels like they haven't updated the "Featured in Kindle Vella" list for a really long time, but maybe I'm just imagining that...

"The Adventures of Verity Cogswell" by T.L. Demmons

Current Tags

steampunk, fantasy, adventure, faery, alchemy, steampunk adventure

Categories

Teen & Young Adult / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

The Adventures of Verity Cogswell

Author's Description

Faeries, alchemy, and mechanics all collide in sixteen year old Verity's world as she comes of age. Join her as she travels towards Aethos, the City of Wonders and her future at the Universitarium of Mechanics and Alchemy. That is, if she can dodge her determined mother and the Brilliant Match she has planned, as well as the demon fae who wants her head on a platter for beating him at his own game.

Why I Chose it

I find steampunk entertaining, and the main character of this story is engaging. Verity wants to go off to learn how to work with the wonders of the world, and her mother wants her to be respectable and get married. By the end of episode one, Verity is planning to escape and the reader is rooting for her.

[6 episodes so far, with 2 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of steampunk with a plucky young woman adventurer should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

There really are a lot of great stories out there, but you have to be prepared to wade through a lot of terrible ones to find what you want.

"My Mini Library Romance" by Lina Jubilee

Current Tags

romance, steamy, romantic comedy, humor, love, contemporary romance, bookworm

Categories

Romance / Humor

Affiliate Link

My Mini Library Romance

Author's Description

Wallflower bookworm Quinn curates her neighborhood's Mini Donation Libraries, paying special attention to the Ooh-La-La Box filled with romance reads. When a series of steamy donated books wrecks her life for a few days, she's left wondering if the author is local. Before she can get her sleuth on for long, a friend introduces her to Allen, a man with deep pockets who wants Quinn to set up a Mini Library on his street--and can take her wildest fantasies from the page to under his sheets. New MWF

Why I Chose it

The idea of trying to keep a steamy romance little library stocked in my neighborhood (or any neighborhood) made me laugh, and that's the kind of humor this book taps into. Plus, the main character didn't have me hitting my head on my desk, so it passes that first test!

[6 episodes so far, with 6 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Steamy contemporary romance readers who like a side order of humor will want to check this out!

Unrelated Griping

Kindle Vella bonuses for November came out yesterday. (Bonuses are pretty much the only reason all but the top five stories in the whole market are making any money at all — if the bonuses dry up before the readers arrive in bulk, the platform will be dead in a month.)

As usual, it was really random. Is the amount related to page reads? Number of episodes posted?

My bonuses went down compared to the month before despite having posted more episodes. But more people have posted stories (including a whole lot of garbage), so maybe the funds are just spread out to more places.

My other (completely unsubstantiated) theory is it's related to how many links are posted to your story on Vella during the month. (I think it would make some sense — if someone is promoting heavily and bringing new users to Vella, maybe they should be rewarded for that.)

As usual, there's no transparency, so I might as well make a Magic 8 Ball for people to ask if something will affect their bonus...

"Pandora's Legacy" by Jen Sequel

Current Tags

mythology, magic, supernatural, horror, mythological creatures, mystery, fantasy thriller

Categories

Fantasy / Teen & Young Adult

Affiliate Link

Pandora's Legacy

Author's Description

The hardest task Crystal thought she would undertake her senior year was completing college applications. When she accidentally unleashes dangerous creatures only read about in stories & legends, she soon discovers that she is somehow bonded to them. When the death toll rises and the lives of her friends and family are put in danger, she realizes she needs to do something to help stop the chaos. As she races to find a solution, she uncovers a family secret that was forgotten for centuries.

Why I Chose it

Horror usually isn't my thing, so you know this has to be really gripping to get me to read three episodes!

[9 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Anyone who enjoys suspenseful writing with a touch of mythological horror should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

No griping today! I've been busy writing the next novel in my Jackpot Drift series, so I haven't had much time to look at serials for the last few days.

"Thoroughly Medieval Millie" by Remy Wilkins

Current Tags

viking, comedy, medieval, strong female, viking romance, mythology, romantic comedy

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

Affiliate Link

Thoroughly Medieval Millie

Author's Description

I'm Millithoth of Goteland, daughter of Eothane, King of Goths. I am called Millithoth the Black-Giver, the Man-Ender, and one time, right before I received the previous nickname, 'tha goat smelly gal.' Call me Millie. I'm looking for pillage, good ale, and a long cuddle before a crackling fire with a handsome husband. It's hard for a raider maiden like me to be accepted in the Viking world, but even harder when I'm driven from my home and forced to live by ax and charm.

Why I Chose it

Sometimes it's just fun to read a story that doesn't take itself too seriously. This is one of those stories. And it's still very engaging!

[12 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Ever wanted to read a humorous romance starring a pillaging viking woman? Check this out!

Unrelated Griping

I can't believe there's still not a way to get the description of the story in the entries returned by a search.

Every single entry has "Kindle Vella Story", "Read episodes 1-3 for free.", and "Kindle Vella: Stories told one short episode at a time", so it's not like there isn't enough room on the page...

"Time Being" by Mollie Hunt

Current Tags

fantasy, paranormal, time travel, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, cat, magical animals

Categories

Fantasy / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

Time Being

Author's Description

An elderly woman travels through time to significant points in her life, but things are not the same as she remembers them. Joined by a handsome young stranger and her childhood cat, the fate of both past and future lie in her hands.

Why I Chose it

Stories that aren't firmly grounded in some sort of reality are hard to pull off — nobody wants to listen to someone else talk about their dreams. But while this story has that floating something isn't right here feeling, the narrator is struggling to find the truth and occasionally has glimpses of clarity. A writer who can manage things that skillfully deserves a second look.

[15 episodes so far, with 0 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If Alice and Wonderland updated with an older protagonist and a thriller element sounds intriguing, you should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

I would love to know how they decide which stories go in the "Featured in Kindle Vella" section. Some of them have been there for over a week and I've been waiting for them to bring in something new.

As far as luring readers, Vella's definitely not there yet. I put the erotica novella up in Kindle Unlimited and it's had at least one read per day with no advertising. I think it had three people read it total during the two months it was available in Vella.

"Travels with Bessie, Bertha, and Rosie - An RV Adventure" by Stan Cromlish

Current Tags

travel, rv life, national parks, camping, fishing, life lessons, united states landmarks

Categories

Nonfiction / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

Travels with Bessie, Bertha, and Rosie - An RV Adventure

Author's Description

Bessie and Bertha are the names of the two motorhomes that have been a part of my RV adventure. That started because of a single conversation at a local watering hole with a good friend. Rosie is my red Chevrolet Equinox who follows along when we travel from one locale to another and then takes me to see the wondrous sights once we arrived in places like Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, Yellowstone National Park, and other United States wonders. Join us on a learning adventure.

Why I Chose it

I love looking at the nonfiction stories available on Vella because they're all over the place. There are people explaining how to talk to God in the right way, others explaining marketing ideas, and even a woman giving a tutorial in casting black and white magic spells.

Most of the ones about people's lives include some sort of narrative thread about change and growth. That makes sense — we all see ourselves as the protagonist in our own story.

But sometimes you just get episodes about where someone went and what went right or wrong, and this is one of those stories. It really is what the title suggest — a story about motorhomes. Three episodes in, I still found it interesting, and I know a little more about RVs.

[10 episodes so far, with 10 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

We've all considered buying a motorhome and leaving home. Find out how it went for this person!

Unrelated Griping

Ugh, the prologues. They're everywhere. Why not just stick a neon sign in your cover image that says "I put all the boring stuff in the first episode but I promise I get to the story later!"?

I am firmly on Team No-prologue.

"White As Death: A Twisted Faerie-Tale" by A.J. Edwards

Current Tags

strong female heroine, retelling, snow white retelling, horror, hades persephone, underworld, undead

Categories

Fantasy / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

White As Death: A Twisted Faerie-Tale

Author's Description

You think you know the story of Snow White and the Evil Queen but you have it all wrong. Step mother wasn't the villain. Tragedy strikes. Death. Destruction. Chaos. Curses. Magic. Follow Evie White, stepmother to the famous Snow, as she risks her life to save her beloved Snow's soul from the Underworld. All while Snow's reanimated body brings death and destruction upon their kingdom. Evie is determined to save everyone or die trying. Snow White meets mythology retelling.

Why I Chose it

This has an interesting mix of a fairy tale esthetic, until suddenly it becomes a vampire story, and I am here for it!

[8 episodes so far, with 1 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you enjoy your fairy tales with a bit of the undead, check this out!

Unrelated Griping

My advice to the beginning Vella author: Get rid of your prologue.

Don't leave it in and call it something else. Don't put all the info in an infodump in the first episode. Just get rid of it.

You have three paragraphs, max, to hook the serial reader's interest, and if you put seven dates, three fantasy kingdoms, and a war spanning seven hundred years in those three paragraphs and haven't introduced one of your main characters, you've lost me.

If that information is crucial to your story, sprinkle it through the rest of the story. Otherwise nobody will get beyond the first episode.

"Rust and Rose" by Annemieke Liu

Current Tags

fairy tale retelling, beauty and the beast, queer fairy tale, asian fantasy, bisexual protagonist, chinese american, ya contemporary fantasy

Categories

Fantasy / LGBT Fiction

Affiliate Link

Rust and Rose

Author's Description

~BEAUTY & THE BEAST, but make it queer and Asian American~ To save her family from financial ruin, Mei vows to study for a year with a metal-faced sorcerer -- but her vow entangles her in his curse, a curse that will steal her freedom, sorcery, and love. Mei is certain she can earn her sorcerer's degree and end the curse, and maybe even fall in love along the way. But her task gets more complex as three trials push her sorcery to the limit, and she realizes she's falling for the wrong person...

Why I Chose it

This is the second Beauty & the Beast retelling I've highlighted on the blog, but it's very different from the first — instead of a secondary world fantasy, this has more of a modern day feel to it: the main character is flying to Tokyo to visit her father when things go sideways.

I know I said before I wasn't a fan of fairy tale retellings, but I think I should modify my statement. This feels different enough that I would not have noticed it was retelling Beauty & the Beast if it hadn't said so in the description.

[48 episodes so far, with 8 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Contemporary fantasy fans should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

I know I mention this a lot, but you would be shocked at the percentage of stories on Vella that are either 1) a wall of text with no paragraph breaks at all, or 2) a wall of white space with every sentence given its own paragraph.

I don't get it. It's really not that hard.

"My So-Called Luck" by Jennifer Fischetto

Current Tags

cozy mystery, witches, paranormal mystery, small town mystery, new adult, mystery romance, spell

Categories

Mystery / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

My So-Called Luck

Author's Description

Welcome to Chance, a town founded on luck and filled with secrets. Sofie Rinaldi is just an ordinary young woman working at the local diner and dreaming of more than her small town life. That is, until she suddenly finds she can conjure up mystical spells. Too bad she hasn't a clue what she's doing. And when people start dying around her, she's left wondering if her spells are somehow responsible. Can Sophie discover the truth about the deaths in Chance... or has her luck finally run out?

Why I Chose it

In the first episode of this paranormal cozy, the main character is introduced, magic is brought in, and the first body drops. That's how you start a paranormal cozy.

[24 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Paranormal cozy fans will like this!

Unrelated Griping

I have no unrelated griping today because I chickened out and started with the "featured" stories. They tend to be higher quality. Looking at the "recently added" list or querying on random words requires looking at a lot more terrible beginnings before finding one worth recommending.

"The String Conspiracy" by Candace Freilich

Current Tags

adventure, quirky, humor, science fiction, multiverse, female protagonist, scifi

Categories

Science Fiction / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

The String Conspiracy

Author's Description

Jo's last invention didn't exactly explode. But after causing chemical burns and thousands in damages, it didn't bring in job offers either. So when she hears there's a reward for finding a missing prototype, it's sleeves up, scanners out. Jo slides from planet to planet chasing leads. But something's off about the trail she's following, and tech failures are taking out her competition. The next one could leave her stranded. Or worse.

Why I Chose it

The first paragraph introduces the main character by saying Jo isn't a thief, and then listing all the tools she has in her bag that would seem to indicate otherwise. There's a nice layer of underdog humor running through this story and a likable and competent main character.

[17 episodes so far, with 3 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If science fiction with competent, likable characters and a quirky universe are your jam, check this out!

Unrelated Griping

Vella has been up and down all day, but I think that's an AWS problem.

"Just use the cloud, they said. Everything will run perfectly in the cloud..."

"Sigils & Sushi" by Nia Quinn

Current Tags

urban fantasy, strong heroine, paranormal romance, humor, supernatural, fantasy, magic

Categories

Fantasy / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

Sigils & Sushi

Author's Description

Failed witch Immy Cordell makes the best of her day job, checking-in rental cars for supernatural customers flying out of Saskia Springs. Spare change in the cup holder? Cool. Bottle of perfume too big to fly with? Sure. Snapping photos of hotties that come through? Why not? But every now and then, something magical gets left behind, and it's a toss-up whether it'll help pay the bills or cause the next best thing to an apocalypse. Especially when that magical something is a sexy, secretive guy.

Why I Chose it

This is another one of the stories that I came across again and thought I had already recommended but for some reason I hadn't. I'm not sure if it's because it didn't have many episodes published when I first saw it, or if it had so many likes that I thought I should try to boost something else. In any case, it's a great paranormal fantasy that starts out strong, with a main character in an interesting job with magic that may or may not be useful.

[15 episodes so far, with 3 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Well-written paranormal fantasy with a sense of humor — try it!

Unrelated Griping

Every once in a while someone will post on one of the Facebook Vella author groups about how weird it is that nobody knows about Vella other than authors or how odd it is that the interface is so bad. And every time someone will jump in with "But it's in beta!" as if the company with the most resources on the planet couldn't afford to hire a competent software team. Vella has been a commercial product for 5+ months. Very little has improved in that time.

Anyhow, all I can really say is I wish I was still naïve enough to believe "But it's in beta!" meant the product just wasn't done yet and not "we're still trying to see if it's worth spending more money on it" because the more months go by, the more I think the product is failing to launch. There are some great stories there and I think there's a market for the format.

"In Search of Harmony" by Marc Whipple

Current Tags

isekai, fantasy, gamelit, litrpg, humor, romance, magic

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

Affiliate Link

In Search of Harmony

Author's Description

Chris Erikson has been isekai-ed into a world of magical music! Normally, a Song Mage can sing a single pure tone that has a magical effect. But our hero has a unique cheat ability called "Leader of the Band" that enables him to... well, cheat. Now he has to collect a group of Song Mages and teach them to sing in harmony. But there are all kinds of ways to get a Song Mage to sing, especially when they're a beautiful woman who's always been silenced... Updates every Monday!

Why I Chose it

Today's random search word was "harmony". (It gave me a lot fewer random sermons about how God is talking to the author than my search on "speak" did.) I had to look up what "isekai" meant — as far as I can tell, it's basically portal fantasy.

Anyhow, this is another litrpg story, and it leans heavily on that — the main character has a full-death experience, gets sent to another world, and looks up his stats. I was entertained by the first episode. 

Does it seem like this story might veer into "woman are the prize at the end of the video game" territory? Maaaybe. I'm not sure. And it's possible that particular weakness might not bother fans of litrpg as much as it would bother me. So... see for yourself!

[16 episodes so far, with 1 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Portal fantasy litrpg readers!

Unrelated Griping

I try not to point out flaws in any one story (because yeah, I'm sure someone could find all sorts of problems with my own), but I found a story yesterday that had the phrase "sharp, arcuate bow" three times in adjacent sentences in the first paragraph. I try not to let editing errors ruin my enjoyment of a story, but that just felt egregious. I mean, at least re-read your first paragraph before you publish.

Anyhow, I've decided to put "sharp, arcuate bow" into all my novels from now on.

"Bloodbound" by Maya Kozlova

Current Tags

vampires, maya kozlova, paranormal romance, greek mythology, urban fantasy, contemporary fantasy, fantasy romance

Categories

Romance / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

Bloodbound

Author's Description

Rowan Sinclair was just trying to get through life. Until a couple of thugs saw fit to kidnap her after work one night, babbling on about blood marks and vampires. She figured they were crazy, but that was before she saw the mark, met the enigmatic Leonidas Solari, and was reminded of an ancient heritage she'd tried to forget.

Why I Chose it

This seems like a bit of a variation on the vampire-human paranormal romance genre. I'm interested in finding out how the greek mythology tag plays into it, but that's not clear from the first few episodes.

[7 episodes so far, with 7 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you're a vampire lover, this could be your next story!

Unrelated Griping

I know I keep bringing it up, but I'm really curious. At least half the new stories have one sentence per paragraph. The writing quality on all of those is... we'll be polite and call it "not great". I'm not alone in that opinion since they end up with zero likes. So the question is, are they all being loaded onto Vella by one person (or business)?

This leads to the question of whether it is more profitable to dump fifty crappy stories that nobody reads onto Vella, or dump a few crappy stories onto Vella and spend more effort teaming up with people to drive up likes and crowns? Both methods drag down Vella as a platform (because how many readers are going search through 20 obviously terrible stories to find something they might like?), but I suspect they will produce income, at least for the next few months.

"Love on Paper" by Sarah Madelin

Current Tags

romantic comedy, slow burn, friends to lovers, just kisses, sweet romance, older woman younger man, women's fiction

Categories

Romance / Humor

Affiliate Link

Love on Paper

Author's Description

"To you, love is only fiction." Marin can't help but wonder...are these harsh parting words from her ex-fiance true? Did watching her parents' marriage end ruin her ability to commit? Ready to confront the past, Marin returns to the setting of her parents' famous love story - a tiny blue cottage on the English coast. Surrounded by sea winds, bittersweet memories, and her own surprising new romance, Marin must ask: Does she believe in love outside of books? And can she accept it for herself?

Why I Chose it

In the first episode, the main character is dealing with her former fiancé's betrayal. And while she's not exactly coping well, the episode manages to show this is an aberration. Lots of gentle humor and some wonderfully layered relationships here.

[11 episodes so far, with 11 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

I'm pretty confident anyone who enjoys low-heat romances will want to curl up with this serial!

Unrelated Griping

Ooh, it looks like they finally added a way to see if a story is complete! (At least, they added it in one place. I'm not sure it shows up anywhere else.) I'm going to be optimistic and assume this means some of the other major-but-easily-fixable issues will be addressed soon.

"Law-Law Land" by Harper Finch

Current Tags

memoir, law, family, life, relationships, divorce, drama

Categories

Nonfiction

Affiliate Link

Law-Law Land

Author's Description

Family law - marriage, divorce, custody, adoption, paternity, estates, guardianship - touches every life at some point. These stories come from my 35 years as a family law attorney, beginning in 1983. Names and locations are fictitious but the rest is real. Every time I thought I'd heard and seen it all, a new case with facts stranger than fiction came through my office door....

Why I Chose it

I like to check out the nonfiction offerings. Most of the time you get a glimpse into a completely different life, with details you would never get from someone who hadn't lived it. In this case we also get the viewpoint of a woman practicing law in a small town in the 1980s, another unusual viewpoint for its time.

[6 episodes so far, with 6 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you enjoy learning the details of a small community and the lives impacted, check this out!

Unrelated Griping

There are stories in the "recently added" list which have "crowns" but no likes, which means multiple readers have marked the story as the best thing they read this week without anyone ever reading an episode. If authors are going to game the system, I wish they would at least try to make it look plausible.

"Night Rider: a Story of the Legacy" by R.G. Roberts

Note for New Readers

I signed up through Holidailies, so if you're checking out those entries — Welcome! On this blog I find one Kindle Vella story (almost) every day that at least passes my minimum requirements and try to direct people who might be the audience toward it.

If you've never heard of Kindle Vella... you're in good company! Amazon hasn't done a great job of promoting it to anyone who isn't an author. Vella is a serial platform — instead of curling up with a book, imagine catching up on the latest episode as you're waiting in line at the DMV.

• The first 3 episodes in every story are free.
  
  
• Amazon is currently giving away 200 tokens (sometimes more!) to anyone who registers.
  
  
• Episodes are priced based on length; the cost is one token per 100 words, so a 1500 word episode will be 15 tokens.
  
  
• If you enjoy an episode, you can click on the thumbs-up icon at the bottom to "like" it. (This is greatly appreciated by authors because it helps a story be shown to people searching for a new serial.)
  
  
• If you purchase tokens, once every week you can "crown" a story. (Again, this helps the story get shown to readers.)

If you want more information about how I choose a serial, check out this Welcome post.

I also complain so much about the Vella user interface (spoiler: it's terrible), that I added a section at the bottom of each review to rant about stuff. Please note that it never has anything to do with the serial that I reviewed that day.

And on to Today's Review!

Current Tags

epic fantasy, fantasy, heroic fantasy, multiple pov, outlaws, female protagonist, sword and sorcery

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

Night Rider: a Story of the Legacy

Author's Description

With their nation long conquered, Night Riders like Shade are the only defense Evendarians have. Yet it will take more than outlaws to save a fallen empire. Nikolas is a student, burning to make a difference. Reyma hides dangerous visions from her mother the queen. Rhea Belldoria builds an entire rebellion underground while Shade sparks revolution...neither knowing they need the other. NIGHT RIDER is an epic fantasy in a world with hints of hope, for fans of The Witcher and LOTR. New eps on Wed.

Why I Chose it

This is a solid example of epic fantasy, with political intrigue, multiple points of view, and magic. From the world-building evident in the first few episodes, this should work well as a serial. (Honestly, I thought I had already reviewed this one, but apparently not. I might have been waiting for more episodes. I'm not sure.)

[11 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Epic fantasy with all the trappings! If that's your thing, check this one out!

Unrelated Griping

With all the things lacking in the user interface, the developers have... added "(Author)" after the name in the byline for each story. Not that there is any way to add anyone who isn't an author. I'm not even sure why you would want to add anyone else. Do other serial sites list the editor or something? This is an odd choice of things to modify.

I keep hoping I'll go to the site and find a sudden burst of competence in the design, but I'm beginning to lose hope.